


Read Between the Vines

by punkhalfwerewolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Marauders, flower shop au, jily, tattoo artist au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 14:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3940777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkhalfwerewolf/pseuds/punkhalfwerewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the tumblr prompt "I passed a flower shop next to a tattoo shop and at first I laughed because I thought it was ironic and then i freaked because IMAGINE YOUR OTP IN A FLORIST/TATTOO ARTIST AU" with Lily as a tattoo artist and James as a florist.</p><p>Co-written with thesanemarauder on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Read Between the Vines

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to lupinsbloggart on tumblr, because we wrote this for her birthday. Originally posted on tumblr.

Growing up, Lily had never imagined she would own her own tattoo parlor. Her sister, Petunia still scoffs at the idea, claiming, “it’s an unladylike profession, if you can even call it that!” Nevertheless, when Lily got her share of what her parents had left her after they passed, Lily decided to invest in a shop. She found tattoos fascinating, and had developed quite a skill in the art of giving others tattoos at her part-time job during college. Now, she was opening her own tattoo parlor.

The location itself was ideal. It was right next to an ice cream parlor and a flower shop, each having friendly owners and employees. On opening day the flower shop owner, a man close to her age named James Potter, dropped off a nice assortment of yellow flowers. A young cheerful girl from Fortescue’s also dropped by to encourage Lily to try a free sample at the ice cream parlor, which Lily was looking forward to.

Within the tattoo parlor itself, Lily hired as her second tattoo artist Sirius Black, who definitely fit physical description for tattoo artist with his long locks and love for his motorbike. Lily was impressed also by the variety and breadth of art that Sirius was able to fit onto his arms. Rumor had it, he had drawn half of it himself.

Between Sirius’s skill and her own, Lily’s shop was booming with success. The neighboring employees also stopped by occasionally to interact, when time permitted. James and his employee and friend, Remus Lupin, would often drop by; the two were old friends of Sirius’s and the trio often had lunch in the back-room of her parlor or James’ flower shop. As James stopped by so often, flowers from the next-door flower shop had become a weekly occurrence. She had become accustomed to the sight of various types of flowers in combinations of colors. On this particular day the flowers consisted of orchids and lilies. Lily laughed at the sight of the lilies, as if she hadn’t been given one on almost any occasion that called for flowers. But, she had begun talking to James frequently and knew it was probably his way of joking around.

Sirius’ reaction to the flowers confused Lily. He didn’t particularly say anything regarding them, but he seemed to smirk everytime he saw a new bouquet, as if he knew something. His interest in the flowers surprised her; it didn’t seem to suit him at all. When Sirius walked by the flowers again and proceeded to give them the look Lily decided to confront him. Enough was enough.

“What is with your fascination with the flowers?” Lily demanded as she cornered Sirius.

“What? Can a man not take interest in objects of the horticultural nature?”

“Um no,” Lily answered caught a bit off guard by his response.  “How do you even know ‘horticultural’?”

“I happen to surround myself with well-rounded friends,” Sirius said in a stuck-up manner. But at Lily’s glare, he gave a straight answer, “I used to pull shifts at James’ when Remus took sick days. I know too much about flowers for a straight playboy,” he grimaced.

“That still doesn’t explain why you give the flowers the look.”

“What ‘look’?” Sirius skeptically asked.

“You know, you kind of smirk and look like you’re hiding some deep, dark secret,” Lily intoned while trying her best not to sound insane.

“Well, obviously I’m hiding some deep, dark secrets from my employer,” Sirius grinned, “but are you sure you want me to let you in on one of them?”

“I swear to god if you don’t tell me right now I will fire you right on the spot,” Lily exclaimed, impatience fermenting into fury.

“Woah, woah, woah, no need to pull out the big guns. If you really want to know I’ll just tell you, because after all I am a loyal employee,” Sirius winked facetiously. He leaned in towards her and whispered conspiratorially in her ears, “Why do you get so many flowers?”

“Because James is a nice person and is being neighborly?” Lily skeptically answered.

“Then why don’t any of the other shops on the block get any flowers?” Sirius pointed out.

Lily was quiet. She was aware of the fact that the other shops didn’t receive anywhere close to the amount of flowers her shop got, but she had never really stopped to ponder the meaning of it.

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe flowers could have meaning?” Sirius continued, adding slyly, “the flowers aren’t for handsome ole me, if you were wondering.”

Lily was stunned. How had she not noticed over the past few weeks? She had been getting flowers, for god’s sake. Ice cream didn’t have societal meaning, but flowers--flowers had a whole history of societal meaning and hidden language.

“Can you handle the afternoon shift by yourself? I have somewhere I need to go,” Lily vaguely announced as she grabbed her coat.

“Anything for true love,” Sirius said as she left, but she hardly noticed, lost in thought: lost in a plan.

****

The bell dinged in the flower shop as a customer entered into his reign. James was at the counter, his head buried in the latest edition of Flowers Monthly. James finally looked up when the customer was in front of the desk and clearing their throat, in a clear attempt to fetch his attention.

“How may I help- oh hey Lily,” James warmly greeted. He wasn’t sure how well he was able to hide his blush; this was the first time Lily had entered his shop without invitation and urging on his part.

“I was thinking about getting my mother some flowers, and wanted to seek your advice, seeing as you do seem to be quite the expert,” Lily said as she turned towards the various flowers. “What about these?” Lily pointed towards white acacia blossoms, “I remember those being in the flowers you gave to me last week, maybe I can give those to my mum. She’s really into gardening and flowers; she’s the green thumb in my family.”

Acacia blossoms for her mother? That was just not acceptable. Acacia blossoms are known for representing concealed love, which definitely did not apply to motherly love. “No, no I don’t think those would be fitting.”

“Why not?” Lily asked without missing a beat.

“No reason, why don’t you look at the flowers over here?” James led her towards the other side of the store away from the acacia blossoms.

“Well what about these then? Are these fitting?” Lily questioned as she pointed to the group of spider flowers.

Great job James, you lead her away from the acacia blossoms only to have her pick out the next worst thing--spider flowers! Love is one thing, but elopement? Just his luck Lily would go for those.

“What’s wrong with these?” Lily was beginning to sound a bit annoyed now.

“Why don’t you try Myrtle flowers?”

“You’re avoiding the question." Ooh boy Lily looked mad.

James winced but attempted to brave it anyway. He gently nudged her away from her current focus so she could admire this perfectly lovely, and better yet, safe, species of flowers. "Myrtle flowers signify...home, love. You want your mother to enjoy her home and her life, because you love her..." James was ready to go on an extended spiel about myrtle flowers if it would distract her from his bouquets for her.

Unfortunately, she wasn't distracted for long.

“So do all flowers hold meaning to them?”

“Yes,” James answered, bracing himself for what he presumed would come next.

“So, what do lilies and orchids signify?”

James looked down, hoping she wouldn’t notice the reddening of his cheeks as he quietly answered, “Beauty.”

She stiffened, but then pointed to the purple spiders. "And these?"

James couldn't tell her what they meant! He floundered, but then responded, "success in your new life!" (With me, he said inside. As my wife. After eloping. But all in all, just a white lie.)

“What about the white ones that I pointed out first? The ones you send pretty often?”

“Ah the Acacia blossoms.” There was no way James could go around this. She was practically asking him to admit how hard he had fallen for her over the past few weeks. What if she didn’t feel the same? He could potentially throw away even the slightest chance of getting to talk to her again. “It means concealed love.” He then looked up at her, desperate to gauge her reaction. She was silent, but she wasn’t running away, which to James was a good sign.

After a few moments Lily finally spoke, “So do you profess your love to every girl before even going on one date?”

Her casual tone shocked him, and he gaped like a fish gasping for air.

"Only for you," James slowly said, as if testing the water.

"Well, then we're going to have to do something about that," Lily awkwardly went on.

That kicked James into gear. Should he invite her on a date, or ask her to be his girlfriend? he wondered, and then said in a rush, “Would--would you like to go on a girlfriend with me?”

They stared at each other as they both tried to translate the gibberish that James had just spouted.

“I mean… would you like to go on a date with me?” James said. “In fact,” gaining some courage, he added, “do you want to go out with me?" He then donned his usual smirk.

"Yes," she replied while toying with the acacia blossom.

At that moment the bell in the front of the store rang again, signaling the entrance of another customer.

"Remus sent me an SOS. I CALL BEING BEST MAN," Sirius called out as he ran in between the pair.

Remus entered the scene then with an apologetic look. "It was too interesting for me to pass up." James's fellow florist then glared at Sirius. “They aren’t getting married yet! An SOS meant that he asked her out!”

“Yeah, yeah, date as in kissing as in love as in I’m going to be a godfather!” Sirius cried out, wiping away his fake tears.

"Are your friends always this dramatic?" Lily asked, leaning into James.

"Eh, you get used to it," he answered back.

Satisfied with this response, Lily proceeded to snog him senseless, until the chime of the bell indicated that the meddlesome duo had left the shop.

"Wow that got them out fast, remind me to use that next time they get on my nerves," James muttered as he tried to catch his breath.

"I could get on that," Lily said with a smile.

****

“So what’s got you two running here like you’ve been scarred for life?” Alice, waitress at Fortescue’s, smiled as she served Remus and Sirius large helpings of ice cream sundaes.

"You know just James and Lily sucking face with no thought towards how we would feel about it," Sirius exclaimed. “I mean, think of the children!” he added as he indulged in the sugary delight Alice had placed in front of him.

"Oh you poor soul," Alice sarcastically remarked.

But despite Sirius’s vehement protestations otherwise, both Remus and Alice could tell that he enjoyed this product of his meddling. He only wished he hadn’t had to see it. Having gotten so close to Lily over the past few weeks, and practically being related to James, Sirius knew that there could be no match as perfect.

Suddenly, Sirius squealed, “I’m going to be a godfather!” The kiss had temporarily distracted him, but now he continued envisioning his future godkids with renewed zeal.  “A godfather!”

 

 


End file.
